THE WIDOW by FIONA BARTON

"The Widow brings us into the life of Jean Taylor, who has recently become a widow when her husband was killed by a bus. As Jean tries to navigate this loss, she is bombarded by press and police alike. Why? Because her husband was also the number one suspect in the disappearance of a young, local girl several years ago. Jean always stood by his side, but now that he is gone, will the truth come to light? This book could have been very interesting. I was intrigued by the idea of a woman trapped by a controlling monster, and who she will become ..." "This book hooked me with the first chapter and never let go. It is a mystery that keeps you guessing. The story slowly unfolds with multiple narrators, each with their own agenda. The widow herself is downright creepy. Her portions are especially well written. This book is well deserving of its Best of 2016 status. The book is compared to Gone Girl and Girl on the Train. In my opinion, it is better than both...." "Jean Taylor is a perfect London housewife, a little untidy. Her husband, Glen, is controlling. He married her young and convinced her of his importance in the world. Most of it was a lie, but Jean doesn't seem particularly upset by that. In fact she's not particularly upset about much of anything, including the fact that Glen was just run over by a bus. What does upset her is the ever-present horde of reporters wanting to get her story ..."

거짓말과 정신적 문제가 있는 남편, 의존성이 강한 부인, 유부남과의 불륜, 아이의 유괴, 소아성애자, 유괴범에 대한 형사의 집착, 과도한 수사, 언론들의 축제(?) 등 이런 종류의 책들이 가진 거의 모든 이야기를 다 보여주는 거 같다. 책의 3분의 1만 읽어도 이야기를 거의 파악할 수 있다. 이 책은 심리 소설이라는 타이틀이 보여주듯 주요 등장인물들의 심리를 보여 주고자 노력하는 책이다. 다만 읽다 보면 좀 지루한 면이 있는건 사실이다. 'The Girl on The Train' 'The Couple Next Door'  등과 비슷한 면이 있지만 이 책은 독자들의 관심을 계속 끌기에는 좀 부족한 면이 있다.